Politics Coronavirus

[Hawkwind]

What is clear is that any gain that that the UK made early in the vaccine race race is gone as they sit top middle of the European pack

That is through (peoples) personal choice not some Govt fuck up. Unfortunately, people are idiots and believe the conspiracy BS! I get the personal liberties argument but those people should not be surprised when they are excluded from events, travel, and even jobs. The safety of others should come first.

What the UK Govt did right was to look at the early results of what Oxford had and invested in it to get production moving, even before results were fully known. Investment in production, storage, and distribution. My brother-in-law was part of the team involved in that, going to the Govt for cash to get things moving. The conversations they were having with the EU were very different. More along the lines of when will we have results to look at. So the Govt took a risk, based on early data and it worked out. It could have been very different (like the Aussie Vaccine with false positives for HIV). If that had happened I expect Ursula and co. would have loved it based on their retoric!

This whole EU vs UK shit is just a joke, Never wanted Brexit but the remoaners in the UK are not making things any easier, just going on about how bad shit is or will be. Personally, I'd rather hope for the best and that the UK will be OK. Also, don't wish EU any bad ills, just to lay off with the BS on AZ etc. Constant gamesmanship of trying to paint the UK as the petulant naughty child that is a lesson to everyone else. Tiresome, boring, and I'd rather we moved on to more constructive partnerships that benefit both sides.

 

[Yoni]

With respect when the UK joined the union those who didn’t like it went on and on about it for so many years it ended up with Brexit…

 

[Hawkwind]

With respect when the UK joined the union those who didn’t like it went on and on about it for so many years it ended up with Brexit…

Different tech era and those voices were not heard like they are now. We have media that doesn't do editorial or education. A majority of what they seem to do these days is report on twatter posts. Trying to get to the truth of any issue these days is a battle in itself.

 

[Gwadien]

Different tech era and those voices were not heard like they are now. We have media that doesn't do editorial or education. A majority of what they seem to do these days is report on twatter posts. Trying to get to the truth of any issue these days is a battle in itself.

lol, classic 'THE PROBLEM WITH TODAY IS'

The Media has never been about reliably informing people or educating people, it's about giving a perspective of the person who holds the purse behind that 'media'.

It always has been.

In actual fact, I'd say that media has become more reliable due to technology, it's not just the point of view of one reporter that a small number of 19th/early 20th century media companies could afford to send to 'location'.

I suppose it's made it cheaper to make a media outlet and to get people to follow it through brainwashing rather than throwing money at it.

 

[Embattle]

Seems my ONS blood test this month shows no antibodies.

 

[Moriath]

Seems my ONS blood test this month shows no antibodies.

How long since you had the jab? Do you qualify for the booster?

my mrs had one of the people she helps take to respite care have a positive lateral flow today. So she has to do them now. For a few days.
hoping its the ladies meds that can screw with the test and give a false positive. She has gone for a pcr now

 

[Raven]

Xmas is cancelled, calling it now.

 

[Embattle]

How long since you had the jab? Do you qualify for the booster?

my mrs had one of the people she helps take to respite care have a positive lateral flow today. So she has to do them now. For a few days.
hoping its the ladies meds that can screw with the test and give a false positive. She has gone for a pcr now

I had my 2nd Vaccination on the 28th April, so a just under 5 months. I don't qualify for the booster because I decided with my Gastroenterology team to come off the immunosuppressants for a while and see what happens with my Crohns. My sisters test had no antibodies this time either, she had her second in June so less than 4 months ago.

ONS take on negative result:

10.A negative antibody result after vaccination does not mean the vaccine has not worked

A negative antibody result could have happened because your body has not yet had the time to develop the antibodies. Alternatively, it could be that your body has not developed enough antibodies to meet the threshold at which the tests register a positive antibody response, but that your antibody levels have still risen.
Antibodies are only part of the way that our bodies fight infection. There are other parts of the immune system, for example, cells called T-cells, which also fight infection but we are not measuring these because they require a lot more blood and very fast processing that is not possible in the survey. Those without a detectable antibody response may still be protected against getting COVID-19.
As individuals, we all respond differently and it is the impact of these differences that our scientists are trying to understand.
It is really important to understand that even in the trials, the vaccines did not stop people getting COVID-19 but they did stop almost all hospitalisations and deaths. We already know that some people will get COVID-19 again and they may still be able to transmit the virus to others.
Please remember that whatever your test results, now or in the future, if you develop COVID-19 symptoms, it is very important that you follow the current government guidance and do not wait for the results of any tests done in this survey.

Have to wait and see what the next one shows.

 

[Moriath]

View: https://twitter.com/ariehkovler/status/1439719920237961217

 

[Raven]

Fuck'um. Darwin will sort out the antivaxxers, let them get on with it.

 

[Scouse]

Xmas is cancelled, calling it now.

Thank fuck.

 

[Scouse]

Covid: Immune therapy from llamas shows promise

An immune therapy derived from llama blood shows "exciting potential" in early coronavirus trials.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Rubber Bullets]

View: https://youtu.be/HLtCBvKI_Mc


Best 1 min 27 seconds of today

 

[Ormorof]

A bunch of restrictions are ending here on 30th... but theres no clear guide on what is changing so suspect most peeps will just continue as is. Seems an amazing own goal to not communicate clearly what is happening, especially as the more sensational media are printing things like "restrictions ending!" Making it sound like a free for all that some asshats will likely go for also

 

[Bodhi]

Very impressive looking trials of an antiviral just announced by Merck :

Merck and Ridgeback’s Investigational Oral Antiviral Molnupiravir Reduced the Risk of Hospitalization or Death by Approximately 50 Percent Compared to Placebo for Patients with Mild or Moderate COVID-19 in Positive Interim Analysis of Phase 3 Study -

At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died Merck Plans to Seek Emergency Use Authorization in the U.S. as Soon as Possible and to Submit...

www.merck.com

Just don't ask about one of Merck's previous patents - that would be bad.

 

[Gray]

Well a few days ago I had a phone call from my mum saying my brother had taken a slight turn in hospital and from the doctors - He's not going to make it. It was a particularly difficult day hearing that, as it was the anniversary of my other brother dying albeit 20 years ago so it will have been unimaginable.

He was resolute about it though, he has after all been seriously ill in-and-out of hospital for over 40 years so this was just another mountain to get over for him. Sadly this afternoon I was called again to say he has been moved into pallative care because overnight he seems to have deteriorated. They're making him as comfortable as possible but they don't think he will last very much longer now. I did pop down the hospital with my mum just to see him. I can't see any recovery or positive outlook to it at this point, but even in his condition he feels stanch about it.

 

[MYstIC G]

Well a few days ago I had a phone call from my mum saying my brother had taken a slight turn in hospital and from the doctors - He's not going to make it. It was a particularly difficult day hearing that, as it was the anniversary of my other brother dying albeit 20 years ago so it will have been unimaginable.

He was resolute about it though, he has after all been seriously ill in-and-out of hospital for over 40 years so this was just another mountain to get over for him. Sadly this afternoon I was called again to say he has been moved into pallative care because overnight he seems to have deteriorated. They're making him as comfortable as possible but they don't think he will last very much longer now. I did pop down the hospital with my mum just to see him. I can't see any recovery or positive outlook to it at this point, but even in his condition he feels stanch about it.

Sucks @Gray look after yourself amigo

 

[Gray]

Oh I will... Mum called again literally about 15 minutes after i made that post update.

My brother passed away, left the hospital just after 730 with our goodbyes and visits prepped for tomorrow so all but an hour after I got the call to say he passed.

Just more raw than anything as it is currently the way this has all happened, avoidable but hindsight is a bitch.

 

[caLLous]

My condolences, @Gray.

 

[Wij]

Oh I will... Mum called again literally about 15 minutes after i made that post update.

My brother passed away, left the hospital just after 730 with our goodbyes and visits prepped for tomorrow so all but an hour after I got the call to say he passed.

Just more raw than anything as it is currently the way this has all happened, avoidable but hindsight is a bitch.

Sorry to hear that

 

[Scouse]

Really sorry to hear that @Gray. Really sorry.

 

[dysfunction]

Very sorry to hear that terrible news @Gray.

 

[Yoni]

So sorry for your loss @Gray

 

[Moriath]

View: https://twitter.com/evren__7/status/1444086323619401732

 

[Embattle]

View: https://twitter.com/evren__7/status/1444086323619401732

To think in the past such things were considered to be pranks.

 

[Moriath]

To think in the past such things were considered to be pranks.

They didnt show up at the hospital. Its the posters comment on what she is suggesting to do

 

[Deebs]

Oh I will... Mum called again literally about 15 minutes after i made that post update.

My brother passed away, left the hospital just after 730 with our goodbyes and visits prepped for tomorrow so all but an hour after I got the call to say he passed.

Just more raw than anything as it is currently the way this has all happened, avoidable but hindsight is a bitch.

My condolences to you and your family

 

[Moriath]

Smokers were never really protected from COVID, despite what early studies claimed

How the ‘smoker’s paradox’ went up in a puff of smoke.

theconversation.com

 

[Scouse]

Smokers were never really protected from COVID, despite what early studies claimed

How the ‘smoker’s paradox’ went up in a puff of smoke.

theconversation.com

SO - smokers are 80% more likely to be hospitalised than non-smokers and the poor-quality studies that gave rise to the story were in many cases funded by the tobacco industry.

There's literally nothing about that that's either surprising or unpredictable.

Whaddaya say @Bodhi?

 

[Bodhi]

SO - smokers are 80% more likely to be hospitalised than non-smokers and the poor-quality studies that gave rise to the story were in many cases funded by the tobacco industry.

There's literally nothing about that that's either surprising or unpredictable.

Whaddaya say @Bodhi?

The "many" cases where they were withdrawn due to Tobacco Company funding was one study in this case, going by the article quoted. Good job the latest meta review of the evidence looks at 547 studies - admittedly of varying quality, but 87 classed as "good" or "Fair", and concluded:

Compared with never smokers, current smokers appear to be at reduced risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and increased risk of greater in-hospital disease severity, while former smokers appear to be at increased risk of hospitalisation, greater in-hospital disease severity and mortality from COVID-19. However, it is uncertain whether these associations are causal.

https://www.qeios.com/read/UJR2AW.15

Considering the (single) study you are quoting didn't actually look at smoking rates, but genetic predisposition to smoking, that probably explains the massive discrepancy - especially given a genetic predisposition to smoking is likely to result in a predisposition to risk taking in general - such as not wearing masks, not social distancing etc, which the study authors themselves actually state.

There's also the point that if smokers were 80% more likely to be hospitalised, we'd see at least some artifact of that in the study above - and there is none. Probably what happens when you pin your theory on a study put together by a couple of notorious Tobacco Control Activists